For months, Russell Carter and his son lived in conditions most tenants would consider unthinkable.

It began in February, when the bathroom ceiling of their South Side apartment suddenly gave way. Years of water damage had weakened the structure until it finally collapsed. The walls followed. Carter recalled that the building’s maintenance team arrived quickly — but only to clear away the wreckage. He assumed repairs would start the next day. They never did.

“I thought they’d be back within 24 hours,” Carter said. “But no one came. Not for weeks. Not for months.”

The 56-year-old Carter and his 36-year-old son, who has autism, were left without a safe bathroom for nearly four months. They relied on family members’ homes for showers and shaving. Even basic tasks like brushing their teeth became dangerous. At times, loose debris from the ceiling fell into the sink. On more than one morning, Carter said, he found mice thrashing in the basin after falling through from the unit above.

“We definitely shouldn’t have to live like that,” he said. “Four months with no walls, taking mice out of bowls — it’s ridiculous.”

📌 Story Highlights

• Chicago housing crisis: Tenants left in unsafe apartments for months.

• LLC landlords shield owners: Identities of true property investors hidden.

• Tenant union forms: Residents across 31 buildings unite under the CKO Tenant Union.

• Rising trend: LLC ownership of Chicago multifamily buildings grew from 3% in 2006 to 16% in 2022.

• Push for reform: Advocates call for a citywide rental registry to hold landlords accountable.

The Hidden Ownership Problem

Carter eventually discovered that his management company, CKO Real Estate, had abruptly shut down in February — leaving tenants stranded. Only months later did a new company step in to finish repairs. But even then, Carter still had no idea who truly owned his building.

County records revealed two names: 7655 S COLES LLC and SALINA INVESTMENT PARTNERS LLC. To tenants, those names meant little. Behind them were no visible landlords, no phone numbers, no clear point of accountability.

This, experts say, is at the heart of the Chicago housing crisis. Limited liability companies, or LLCs, increasingly dominate the rental market, shielding owners’ identities while insulating them from legal and financial exposure.

“This opacity makes it hard for members of a community to know who owns that terrible building that’s causing all kinds of problems,” said Dan Immergluck, professor emeritus at Georgia State University.

‘The Wizard Behind the Curtain’

LLCs weren’t invented for real estate. They originated in the 1970s, designed for oil companies looking for liability protection without corporate tax burdens. But by the 1990s, landlords realized they could use the same structure to buy and manage apartment buildings.

“It wasn’t created at all with real estate in mind,” explained Susan Pace Hamill, a University of Alabama law professor who has studied LLCs for decades. “Somebody is managing the LLC, somebody is investing in the LLC, but when there’s a problem and you want to find out who that somebody is, you run into a brick wall. You can’t find what I call ‘the wizard behind the curtain.’”

In Illinois, disclosure requirements are minimal. Only the manager and agent of an LLC must be named publicly — and neither may be the actual owner.

The CKO Tenant Union

The collapse of CKO Real Estate exposed this problem in painful detail. Tenants in multiple buildings reported rodent infestations, repeated utility shut-offs, and leaks so severe that mushrooms began to grow indoors.

One tenant, Marla Blanton, described squatters breaking through a damaged gate to occupy the garage and basement. She said the property managers delayed fixing the locks for months.

“As tenants, we should know who the actual landlords are,” Blanton said. “If the property managers aren’t doing their job, we should be able to alert the owners directly.”

On paper, each building was owned by a separate LLC, usually named after the street address. But tenants digging into public records uncovered a common link: real estate investor Chikoo Patel. His name appeared on nearly every deed and mortgage.

That discovery sparked something bigger. With the help of community organizers, residents from 31 buildings came together to form the CKO Tenant Union.

“Going door to door, all you had to say was ‘CKO’ or ‘problems in your building,’ and people would stop and talk,” said housing organizer Sahar Punjwani. “They wanted to join.”

Legal Battles and Limited Progress

Since forming in June, the tenant union has grown to about 150 members. The group has met with city officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson. Some investors — notably husband-and-wife team Shai Wolkowicki and Lauren Lampert — have agreed to limited concessions, such as forgiving certain back rent.

But the bigger demands, like 24-hour repair windows and annual inspections, were rejected. The rest of the ownership group remains largely anonymous.

Meanwhile, Carter’s activism came at a cost. In August, after he withheld rent during the bathroom collapse, he received an eviction notice. He believes the timing was no accident.

“These owners have proven who they are,” Carter said at a union news conference. “Their agenda is to get the rent and tell the tenants to shut the hell up.”

A City Struggling for Accountability

Despite repeated violations, none of the 31 CKO-linked buildings appear on Chicago’s Building Code Scofflaw List. Only seven are flagged under the city’s Troubled Buildings Initiative.

Tenant advocates say this failure is no surprise. The city’s system relies heavily on residents to report violations through 311, something many tenants fear doing because of eviction risks. Even when cases reach building court, judges are often reluctant to levy harsh penalties.

“The tenants are the ones forced to enforce the system,” said John Bartlett, director of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization. “And they’re in the least position to do so.”

Calls for a Rental Registry

To address the growing Chicago housing crisis, Ald. Desmon Yancy has proposed a rental registry ordinance. The plan would require landlords — including LLCs — to disclose all individuals with at least 20% ownership. Similar systems already operate in cities across the U.S., linking names, rents, and contact details for accountability.

“The idea behind the rental registry is simple,” Yancy said. “Know who’s renting what, what the rents are, and who to contact if there’s a problem. That allows us to hold bad actors accountable.”

But for now, the measure is stalled in committee.

As for Carter, he continues to face eviction proceedings while still dealing with leaks in his apartment. His case has become a symbol of a broader fight — one where hidden LLC landlords profit from housing while tenants live with collapsing ceilings and unanswered calls.

“Should housing be an investment,” Bartlett asked, “or should housing be housing?”

That question, for many tenants across Chicago, defines the crisis they live every day.

The story of Russell Carter and the tenants of the CKO portfolio underscores how the Chicago housing crisis is tied to a deeper issue of hidden ownership. With LLC landlords shielding their identities, tenants often have no way to hold property owners accountable for unsafe conditions. While tenant unions and community organizers have pushed for reform, the lack of transparency continues to frustrate both residents and city officials. Until stronger measures such as a rental registry are enacted, many renters may remain trapped in buildings where repairs are delayed, violations pile up, and the true decision-makers stay out of reach.

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